At 5:15 a.m. Monday, the Department of Public Safety closed the No. 2 lane westbound U.S. 60 at milepost 208 in Apache Junction for a gravel spill. No additional details are available at this time.
Archive for the 'Apache Junction' CategoryPolice catch pair in carjackingMay 22nd, 2008, 12:00 pm by Katie McDevittAn ex-con and his suspected accomplice were arrested Tuesday in connection with a carjacking and armed robbery in Apache Junction. Police said Ricky Steele Sagaser Jr., 37, and Jennie M. Ferguson, 20, both of Mesa were arrested about 6:30 a.m. following the crime at 461 W. 16th Avenue #1. Officers hunted down the suspects after the victims described their appearances to police. Police first found the stolen vehicle at Palo Verde Drive and 16th Avenue, then saw the suspects running away through an alley. Both suspects were identified through photo lineups with victims. Gold Canyon salesman arrested in connection with home invasionFebruary 21st, 2008, 4:43 pm by Katie McDevittPinal County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Gold Canyon car salesman Wednesday in connection with a home invasion robbery that occurred in January. Jamin Joel Martinez, 27, was arrested about 3 p.m. and was booked into the Pinal County Jail on suspicion of felony robbery and possession and trafficking stolen property, officials said. AJ man guilty on federal child porn chargesFebruary 15th, 2008, 4:54 pm by Nick R. MartinA 38-year-old Apache Junction man was found guilty Friday in federal court of using file-sharing software to distribute child pornigraphy, according to the Justice Department. Paul Richard Butts was accused of using computer program iMesh to share pornographic images of children as young as 12 with users around the world. He was caught in 2005 when he sent some of his 24,000 images to undercover FBI agents, the justice department said in a statement. Butts, who could not be reached for comment. was convicted by a jury in the U.S. District Court in Phoenix of 16 felony counts. He will be sentence in May, when he could face 10 years in prison and pay $250,000 in fines for each count. Chiropractor sentenced for tax evasionJanuary 25th, 2008, 9:13 am by Gary GradoA federal magistrate judge sentenced an Apache Junction chiropracterTuesday to 18 months in prison on income tax charges. Man critical after stabbingDecember 21st, 2007, 5:40 pm by Katie McDevittA 32-year-old man living in a group home in Apache Junction was in critical condition Friday after he was stabbed by another person in the group home, police said. Police have not released either the name of the victim or the assailant in the case. Apache Junction police spokesman Jay Swart said police have the suspect in custody. The victim, who had lost a lot of blood, was taken in critical condition to Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn hospital. Collision on US 60 was head-onNovember 13th, 2007, 10:56 pm by Jill RedhageAuthorities said the two-vehicle collision that clogged U.S. Highway 60 near Miami Tuesday afternoon was likely a head-on collision. Both drivers sustained serious trauma, and both vehicles were severely damaged, said Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesman Harold Sanders. He said the cause of the collision wasn’t yet known, but that the westbound vehicle appeared to have crossed into the eastbound lane. The victims’ identities weren’t released. Both vehicles caught fire upon impact, Sanders said, but emergency personnel were able to remove the drivers before flames engulfed their vehicles. The westbound highway was closed at Miami and the eastbound highway was closed at Superior for about an hour and a half. Sanders said officers hadn’t decided whether to press charges against the westbound driver. EV chop shop netted DPS $250KNovember 8th, 2007, 5:11 pm by Mike BranomThe Arizona Department of Public Safety seized more than $500,000 in cash during October, with almost half coming from the bust of an East Valley “chop shop,” the agency said Thursday. Investigations and traffic stops yielded $536,189 in drug and vehicle theft money. All the money was U.S. currency. The largest seizure came Oct. 26, when detectives from the DPS Vehicle Theft Task Force broke up a crime ring based near the east Mesa/Apache Junction border. Authorities found about $250,000 and several stolen items including power generators, forklifts, trailers, commercial trucks, and motorcycle engines. Arrest made in molestation caseNovember 5th, 2007, 12:34 am by andrebowserPolice arrested a Mesa man in connection with the molestation of a 4-year-old girl his mother was baby-sitting, according to authorities. Pedro Otero Hernandez, 21, was taken into custody on Friday, although the incident he is accused of took place Aug. 29, according to authorities. “(It took that long) to gather the evidence, to do the full investigation,” Mesa police spokeswoman Detective Diana Tapia said Sunday. “Once we know the victim is not in harm’s way, we’re going to do what we can to gather all evidence necessary to do the necessary charges.” Sexual conduct with a minor is a felony, Tapia said. No further details were available late Sunday. Reporter Mike Branom contributed to this blog. Mesa police shoot, kill manNovember 5th, 2007, 12:30 am by andrebowserMesa police shot and killed a man who brandished a handgun at two officers outside of a home early Sunday morning, according to authorities. Police have not released the man’s name, pending positive identification and notification of next of kin. According to authorities, police received a call at 12:38 a.m. from a 51-year-old woman living near Power and McKellips roads. The woman said someone was knocking on her front door, and she believed it to be her ex-boyfriend against whom she has an order of protection. Two officers arrived at the residence at 12:51 a.m., and officers contacted a man who displayed a handgun, according to authorities. When he failed to comply with the officers’ commands, one of the policemen fired his gun. That police officer was placed on paid administrative leave, department policy in a shooting. The Mesa Fire Department pronounced the man dead at the scene. The investigation is ongoing. Reporter Mike Branom contributed to this blog |